(1 of )Watch for pedestrians, Sonoma drivers - before the city has to start posting signs that look like this.

EDITOR: A neatly penned piece of public relations claptrap about his hotel from Index-Tribune owner Darius Anderson caught my eye (“Hotel Project Benefited from Community Dialogue,” Dec. 6). He hit all the right notes about “listening to the community” and his undying respect for the loyal opposition. It’s the kind of stuff that gives BS a bad name and it only took him two columns to get it said. It’s great to own the press.

I won’t refight the fight of development Trumps (yes, capital T) quality of living, we know which lost. OK, now’s the good part.

All those who voted for a 62-room luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Sonoma, the crossroads of West Napa Street and First Street West, will get to sit in its traffic, and sit you will, into, out of, and across town. Keep that in mind over the many years while the hotel is under construction and then in operation. Those minutes ticking away are your lifetime, but never mind. It’ll give you time to text or find another distraction. And while you’re at it you can thank Mr. Anderson for improving Sonoma for its tourists.

The view from the Springs is getting better.

Will Shonbrun

Boyes Springs

Editor’s note: Thanks for writing Will. I feel I should qualify a remark in your letter about “it’s great to own the press.” While owning the Index-Tribune would certainly be a feather in anyone’s the cap, Darius Anderson submitted his piece as a letter to the editor and we ran it as such, just as we would with any other member of the community – just as we are with your letter. – J.W.

One wrong step…

EDITOR: I am horrified over what just happened and taking to the local paper to voice my concern. As I drove my daughter home from school, heading east on Spain Street, I saw a teenage boy waiting to cross at the Fourth Street West crosswalk. He had a skateboard tucked under his arm, clearly intending to cross on foot. I slowed, stopped and raised my hand to acknowledge that I saw him. A few cars heading west did not stop, so he continued to wait. However, when it was clear, he still didn’t cross. I watched him, confused why he didn’t go, when suddenly two cars flew past me on the right! Around my stopped vehicle, through the intersection, through the crosswalk, and continued without even slowing down! I did not have my left hand turn signal on ... I was stopped for a child to lawfully cross the road after school. If that teen hadn’t been paying attention, he would have been hit at a high rate of speed, like the gentleman struck recently in the crosswalk on Broadway. If he had stepped off the curb, today might have ended in a terrible tragedy.

Fellow drivers: I implore you to drive more cautiously and to always watch for pedestrians. And kudos to that teenager for paying close attention. He has obviously learned pedestrians can’t trust all drivers to have their best interests in mind.

Amy Smith

Sonoma

City right to bottle liquor license

EDITOR: I am a Sonoma Valley parent of two teenagers and the founder and director of a local nonprofit, RISK-Sonoma (Resources, Information, Support and Knowledge).

With the high number of emergency room visits for blood-alcohol-related incidents involving teens at Sonoma Valley Hospital, and our local police and parents rallying together to say no to the Easy Stop’s hard liquor license application, we support the Sonoma City Council denying the appeal at its Dec. 12 meeting.

A number of parents in the community, along with the police and educators, are working on ways to deter our youth from obtaining hard liquor. Not only do we not need another establishment selling hard liquor, but the location is just way too accessible to the high school students.

The owners of the market need to educate themselves about the dynamics of our community and how this appeal they made is just so counterproductive to the health and welfare of our teens.